This invention relates to a device for inking a ribbon of the type comprising a cartridge with a loop of the ribbon exposed from the cartridge and a drive member on the cartridge for feeding the ribbon from the loop back into the cartridge.
Apparatus for inking ribbons are well known in the art and basically comprise ink supply means, ribbon guide and drive means and ink transfer means to apply ink to the ribbon from the supply means as it passes over the ink transfer means. The supply of ink has most commonly been a reservoir with the ink being transferred by a wick to a roller which transfers the ink onto the ribbon. The roller and ribbon drive being driven by a small electric motor. Some ink supply means were by gravity feed and proved very difficult to regulate and were consequently very messy. The amount of ink being applied was normally a timing process, others used the spatial relationship or amount of pressure contact between the feed and inking rollers to determine the amount of inking composition to be transferred.
A search of the prior art has revealed the following Canadian Patents 1059740, 1052560, 676889 and 656611. In Canadian Patent "740" there is disclosed both a gravity feed, wick transfer of ink to the ribbon and a conventional spraying device for transfer of ink to the ribbon In Canadian Patent "560", there is basically disclosed a cam controlled ink applying means the ink being transferred from a reservoir to an inking roller, while applicants application of ink is by a stepper motor driven syringe applying ink to a porous inking and main driving wheel. Looking at Canadian Patent "611" we have an ink cartridge feeding a felt wick contracting a transfer roller Canadian Patent "889" teaches only a special type wick applying ink to a roller from a supply basin.